Michael Cohl Comments on JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Arena Tour: 'It Was a Disaster'

As BWW reported earlier today, Spider Man producer Micahel Cohl plans to create new live entertainment spectaculars based on the hit animated films Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked and Rio, from 20th Century Fox's most successful animated film franchises.

In 2009, Mr. Cohl stepped in as lead producer on "Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark" at the request of the show's composer, U2's Bono, The production was plagued with problems and quickly became the most expensive musical in Broadway history. In January, the show was forced to shutter after a three year run without recouping its original investment.

In today's Wall Street Journal, Cohl, who is planning to launch an arena tour of Spider Man in late 2015 or winter 2016, spoke about the show and other recent endeavors. "I think Spider-man is a pop culture rock show that was meant to be in arenas," he tells the site.

Cohl was also behind the planned 50-stop arena tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar". The production was recently cancelled, just days before it was set to begin. "it was a disaster," he says of the project. "Ticket sales were terrible."

The tour was to star Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd in the role of Judas, Destiny's Child member Michelle Williams as Mary Magdelene, Ben Forster as Jesus, JC Chasez of *NSYNC as Pontius Pilate, and Sex Pistols singer Johnny Rotten Lydon as King Herod.

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Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur